Trust the focus of Monday's campaign

Trust is set to be the main focus of the federal election campaign Monday, as the party leaders head to regions where they say key promises have been broken.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper is heading to Wainfleet, Ont. — part of a riding represented by a New Democrat who flip-flopped on gun control.

Welland member of Parliament Malcolm Allen was one of four New Democrats who initially promised to vote to abolish the long-gun registry, but changed their mind last fall and voted against a bill to scrap it.

A re-elected Conservative government will re-introduce legislation to kill the registry once and for all, Harper is promising.

Allen’s riding may be a close race.

He won the seat in 2008 by less than 500 votes, beating out Tory candidate Alf Kiers.

Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff, meanwhile, is levelling similar accusations about trust against Harper in Atlantic Canada.

He told a Halifax audience late Sunday that Harper “turned his back” on the Atlantic Accord on offshore resource revenues and would do the same again.

Igantieff said Harper similarly can’t be trusted to come through with his new promise of loan guarantees to Newfoundland to help the Lower Churchill hydroelectric project.

He’ll take that message to St. John’s, N.L., later Monday.

With 17 Liberals elected out of the 32 seats in Atlantic Canada — including six of seven in Newfoundland and Labrador — the region was the lone bright spot for Liberals in the disastrous 2008 election.

Ignatieff appeared determined to work on old Maritime grievances Sunday evening for a ramped-up crowd of about 800.

After singing the praises of Nova Scotia at length, including everything from its famed universities to a tribute to the province for taking in fleeing American slaves two centuries ago, the Liberal leader recounted Harper’s words from years ago.

“You all know what he actually said. He talked about a ‘culture of defeat,'” Ignatieff darkly intoned, drawing cries of “Shame!” and jeers from the crowd.

New Democrat Leader Jack Layton was scheduled to be in Toronto Monday morning for an announcement, followed by an evening rally in London, Ont.

Bloc Quebecois Leader Gilles Duceppe was scheduled to spend Monday in communities northeast of Quebec City. He will meet with Bombardier union officials in La Pocatiere and tour a home construction firm in Riviere-du-Loup.